Refrigerator latch



H. w. M PHERSON REFRIGERATOR LATCH May 21; 1935.

Filed Oct. 31, 1951 z m a p w 1% s s nn 2 5 m 8 Q m a w z\ m vmv g 3 w a 6 6 w h 1 1d z" m 5 v w w a w w n WU; Y L 9 ATTORNEYS Patented May 21, 1935 i Q UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATOR LATCH Hal W. McPherson, Dayton, Ohio, assignor, by

mesnc assignments, to General Motors Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application October-31, 1931, Serial No. 572,421

6 Claims. (01. 292-172) This invention" relates to refrigerating apparugged construction. A passageway 29 is drilled ratus and more particularly to latches for the into the side of the door 24 and into the adjacent doors of refrigerator cabinets for use with refrigportion of the rectangular door frame 20. A tuerating apparatus. bular slideway 30 is pressed into this passageway The objects of my invention include the pro- 29 and is provided with an integral flange 3| at 5 viding of an improved and relatively noiseless its outer end which is fastened by means of screws latch means for a refrigerator door in which the 32 (see Fig. 2) to the rectangular frame member major portion of the mechanism is concealed 20. A cylindrical bolt 33 is slidably mounted Within the door and is readily assembled in place within the tubular slideway 30 and has a kerf at and also removed therefrom; and the providing its projecting end'which receives a suitable roller 10 of means for sealing of a concealed latch for 34 which is mounted by means of a pin 35 which preventing the access of external air and moisture passes through the ears of the projecting end of to the concealed mechanism. the bolt 33.

Further objects and advantages of the present A handle 31 of an ornamental shape is provided invention will be apparent from the following defor operating the bolt 33. This handle projects 15 scription, reference being had to the accompanyfrom thefront of the cabinet and is pivoted to a ing drawing, wherein a preferred form of the pressuitable supporting plate 38 which is provided ent invention is clearly shown. with turned down ears 39 for receiving a pin 40 In the drawing: which passes through the ears and the pivot point Fig. l is a fragmentary sectional view of a porof the handle 31. Anoperating arm 4| extends 2 tion of a refrigerator cabinet disclosing my iminwardly from the pivot point of the handle 31 proved latch mechanism; I through a slot 42 in the tubular slideway 30 into Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the side of the a recess 43 in thecylindrical bolt. Ahelical spring door showing the bolt in end elevation; 44 is provided between the inner end of the bolt Fig. 3 isa front view of the refrigerator cabinet and the inner end of the tubular slideway for 5 showing. my improved latch; forcing the bolt toward the keeper.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a re- From the standpoint of external appearance, frigerator cabinet showing a modified form of my it is highly desirable to keep the* marginal edge invention; of a refrigerator cabinet unobstructed. For this Fig. 5 is a sectional view alohg the line 5-5 of reason a concealed keeper 46 is provided in the 30 Fig. 4; and inner face of the door jamb 21 which is hollowed Fig. 6 is a front view of a refrigerator cabinet out for this purpose. This position is particularshowing the modified form of my improved latch. ly desirable because excellent support is provided Referring to the drawing, and more particudirectly by the door jamb. The keeper 46 is prolarly to Fig. 1, there is shown, for the'purposes of vided with an inclined face 41 for retracting the 35 illustrating my invention, a fragmentary portion bolt 33 when the door is slammed shut. A notch of a refrigerator door 24 including a rectangular 48 is provided in the keeper and has a wedge V. door frame 20, to which is fastened a facing memshape so that when the door. is closed the roller ber 2|, which forms the front face of the door. 34 will press,against the inclined side 49 of the The space within the rectangular frame member keeper 46 and in this way holds the door tightly 40 20 is filled with a suitable insulation 22, such as closed. The door 24 is opened by grasping the cork.- The front face of the door is covered by the handle and turning it counterclockwise with res'heet metal covering 23 which is laid ontop of spect to the showing in Fig. 1 to cause the operthe facing member 2| and which is preferably ating arm 4| to retract to pull the bolt 33 and its coated with a suitable coating material, such as roller 34 from the notch 48 of the keeper and lacquer or porcelain. The rear face of the door 24 by the pull which naturally accompanies this is also provided with a suitable sheet metal covpulling of the handle forward, the door is pulled ering 25 which is preferably coated with some open with comparative ease. i suitable coating material such as porcelain. The With the bolt mechanism concealed within the 50 sides of the door are provided with a side facing door, it is cooled because of its proximity to the 50 strip 26 of some suitable material having a low cold inner portions of the refrigerator and there heat conductivity. In this figure is also shown a would be difliculty if external air should get into portion of the door jamb 21 which is provided with the bolt mechanism and be cooled below its dew a facing strip 23 upon its inner face. point and moisture be deposited upon the bolt The latch means for the door has a simpl mechanismcausing corrosion therein. This this point.

moisture would also have a tendency to cause swelling of the rectangular frame 20 and the facing member 2!. In order to avoid this objectionable occurrence, 1 provide a cup-shaped rubber sealing member 80 provided with flangesji which are held between the supporting plate 38 and the facing member 2|. This cup-shaped member 80 is provided with an aperture 82 through which the operating arm projects. The rubber around the aperture is made especially thick so as to tightly grip the operating arm ll so as to prevent any moisture from leaking at shaped rubber member and by having the aperture tightly fitting the operating arm, no moisture is allowed to enter the latch mechanism from this path. The shape of the rubber member may be altered to suit conditions The bolt 33 .flts with sui'iicient snugness in the tubularslideway a so as to prevent any. great amount of air from entering the latch mechanism in this way. Furthermore, since there is a seal 83 provided between the facing member 2| and the door jamb 2'I, the external air does not have access to the outer end of the bolt 33. Consequently, only cold air from the interior of the refrigerator cabinet has access to the bolt 83. This cold interior air is below the temperature of the bolt mechanism and therefore no condensation will take place from the air from this source. Should the rubber.

member break,'moisture would not have access to the insulation 22' since the passage 29 isblind and wholly within the rectangular door frame 20. An ornamental escutcheon plate 86 provided with an aperture ll for-receiving thehandie I! is employed for covering the supporting plate 38 and the cup-shaped rubber member 80 to give the latch a' distinctive appearance.

In Fig. 4 there is shown a fragmentary sectional view of a refrigerator door' 54 including a rectangular frame and a facing member 5 fastened to the front side of the rectangul frame ll. Suitable insulation", such as cork, is provided within the rectangular frame 50 for insulating the door. preferably provided with a suitable coating such as porcelain, is laid over the facing member II for covering the front surface of the door 54.

This covering 53 is provided with a sunken groove 55 in which a tubular slideway i6 is fastened.

Within the slideway 56 there is a cylindrical bolt .81 provided with a kerf at its outer end which receives a rollenll. The roller .58 engages a suitable keeper I! which is fastened to the outer side of the door lamb ill. A suitable handle 6| is' provided for retracting the bolt. This handle ll is pivotally supported by means of the pin 02 upon a bracket 03 fastened by means of screws 84 to the outer face of the door and provided with upstanding ears 8! for receiving the pin 62. The bracket i8 is preferably brazed and sweated to-the tubular slideway 58 to provide a unitary piece. The handle 8| has an operating-arm 10 extending inwardly from the pivot pin 63 through a slot 61 in,the outer portion of the tubular slideway into a recess 69 provided for this purpose in the bolt 51. The operating arm II presses ainst the. rear end of the recess 69 and retracts the bolt 61 and the roller 5! from engagement with the keeper" against the resilient force of the coil spring 11 which is provided between the By clamping the flanges of the cup-' A sheet metal covering 53,

inner end-of the bolt 51 and the inner end of the tubular slideway 56. a

An ornamental escutcheon plate 90 is provided for covering the latch mechanism so as to give the latch a pleasing appearance. By sinking the latch mechanism into the door, the amount of projection of the handle and the keeper is reduced-ahd because of the reduced moment arm, there is less strain upon the fastenings of the.

keeper.

While the formof embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other-forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow. x

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A latch for a refrigerator door including a bolt slidably supported upon the inside of the door, a slideway fastened to the door for slidably supporting the bolt, 2. pivoted handle projecting from the door and having means for operating said bolt, means mounted on the door for pivotally supporting said handle, and a flexible fluid tight sealing member having its edges sealed to the door and its central portion tightly fitting said bolt operating means for preventing the' access of external air and moisture to said bolt.

2. A latch for a refrigerator door including a bolt slidably supported on the inside of the door, a slideway fastened to the door for slidably sup-' porting the bolt, a pivotally mounted handle projecting from the door and having means conits central portion tightly fitting the bolt operating means for preventing theaccess of external air and. moisture to the bolt.

3. A latch for a refrigerator door including a bolt slidably mounted upon the inside of the door, a slideway fastened to the door for slidably supporting the bolt, a handle pivoted to the door and projecting from the door, said handle having a flnger extending into the door for operating the bolt, and a flexible fluid tight sealing member tightly fitting said finger for preventing the access of external air and moisture to said bolt.

4. Alatch for a refrigerator door having an opening including, a pivoted handle passing through the opening, a spring actuated bolt, an arm on said handle for operating said bolt against spring tension, and a gasket of resilient material through which said arm extends for closing the opening about said arm.

5. A refrigerator latch including a pivoted handle, a latch means, a latch operating arm forming a part of :said handle and extending into an opening, and a gasket of resilient material through which said arm extends to seal the opening-about said arm regardless of the position of the handle.

6. A means for holding a door closed, the door having an opening therein, including a handle member extending into the opening and havinga 

